Length of consist

Unfortunately, the best way to run longer consists is to have larger radii.  Cars tend to stringline on tighter curves.  Also, you may consider moving your switches off the edges of the curves as the trucks can align with the rails more effectively than when coming straight out of a curve.  Finally, easements into your curves may help.  042 curves into 031 curves allow the train to more effectively turn the corners.

Good luck!

Here is an Amtrak train with 14 scale cars running on 072 minimum. 

That’s a terrific consist!

Since I’m limited to the 031 curves, is it trial and error or somehow based on weight?

If you usually place a baggage or baggage-mail combine at the front of your train, open it up and add some lead weights.  It'll make the train harder to pull, but doing this will greatly reduce its tendency to string-line.

Ted, that sounds like a good idea.

I’ll remove the roof from the first car and add some lead weights inside and see what happens.

The best thing I ever did to improve “trackability” and minimize derailments was to add weight to the cars to bring them into compliance with the NMRA standards.

The O scale standard for car weight is:

• BASE WEIGHT: 5 ounces
• ADDITIONAL WEIGHT: 1 ounce per inch of car length

EXAMPLE: A 21” long passenger car should weigh 26 ounces.
5 ounce base weight plus 21 ounces for car length = 26 ounces.

The typical 3-rail car (freight and passenger) does not meet those standards.

Bringing my cars up to standard weight has made a dramatic reduction in derailments on my layout.  O-31 curves on three levels.

Bill

I will certainly try that. However, I am concerned that too much total consist weight can be detrimental to the engine.

I routinely run longer consists.  I have eleven MTH Premier Amtrak Superliners that I run with a single Premier Genesis, no problems at all.  And yes, all the curves are O72 or larger, a key requirement.

For freight cars, the sky's the limit, biggest problem here was a couple of bad couplers.

@cpasam posted:

I will certainly try that. However, I am concerned that too much total consist weight can be detrimental to the engine.

It won’t hurt the engine. If the train is too heavy, the wheels will slip, that’s all.

Nice consist John: reminds me of waiting at a crossing here in Lower Makefield 😀

@cpasam posted:

That’s a terrific consist!

Since I’m limited to the 031 curves, is it trial and error or somehow based on weight?

On my freight trains, I have had success with putting the lighter cars in the back of the train.  In these videos all the cars at the back tend to be older Weaver and Atlas O cars from the 70's that are feather light.  If I were to put them in the front, I'd have derailments left and right!

So far some great advice here on how to properly weight your cars in general to lengthen your trains!

@cpasam posted:

Nice consist John: reminds me of waiting at a crossing here in Lower Makefield 😀

Thanks.  For the tank cars, I did indeed put all the heavier cars at the front, the lightest cars are at the rear.  I wouldn't have made it around halfway if I put the heavy cars at the end.

Even the real railroads occasionally forget that lesson, NS had two derailments a year or so ago in the span of three weeks!  In each case, it was empty center beam lumber cars at the front of a long consist that derailed.  DUH, didn't they get the memo!

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Thanks.  For the tank cars, I did indeed put all the heavier cars at the front, the lightest cars are at the rear.  I wouldn't have made it around halfway if I put the heavy cars at the end.

Even the real railroads occasionally forget that lesson, NS had two derailments a year or so ago in the span of three weeks!  In each case, it was empty center beam lumber cars at the front of a long consist that derailed.  DUH, didn't they get the memo!

NS. Perhaps they should have to join the NMRA. Hopefully that would straighten them out, but I doubt it.          j

This has been a terrific learning session.

I will use adhesive backed 1/4 or 1/2 ounce auto wheel balancing weights on the interior floor of the passenger cars where needed.  I have some weights coming from Amazon tomorrow, so hopefully I’ll have good results to report.

Thanks to all

Check my article in Run 334 for adding weights to Weaver freight cars.

Chris

LVHR

@cpasam posted:

This has been a terrific learning session.

I will use adhesive backed 1/4 or 1/2 ounce auto wheel balancing weights on the interior floor of the passenger cars where needed.  I have some weights coming from Amazon tomorrow, so hopefully I’ll have good results to report.

Thanks to all

You can use inexpensive stuff for weights.  In my case, I had a bunch of these that didn't work well enough in their original intended role, so I "took a shot" and used them for engine and car weights. This HHP-8 was like a different locomotive when I added the weight.

I use the same weights in boxcars as well.  For tank cars, I use lead shot and chase it with a little glue to keep them from shifting.

Seems like we see a weight problem every now and then. I don't run mile-long consists, but have a medium size layout with a 2-train operation on independent loops. I run my passenger trains with 8 15" aluminum cars on all 036 curves. The freight trains run on the smaller, oval loop with consists of between 8 and 13 cars, also on 036 curves.

The passenger trains are pulled by 2 powered engines and I've never needed extra weight in either the engines or cars and I can run them up to high speeds without derailments.

The freight trains are pulled by only one powered engine, due to the lighter weight of the plastic cars. For a couple of lighter box cars that needed extra weight, I've used these weights I found on Amazon that are 1 oz. each and self-adhesive on one side. For me, they have worked perfectly.

Thanks. I use the same type of weights, but 1/2 ounce.

The best part of our hobby is how creative we can be, testing out our skills with electrical, mechanical and designing functions.  What’s nice is when our great idea doesn’t work out as expected, we simply remove it and start over.